Tape dispenser

ABSTRACT

A tape dispenser for use on a belt is described. The tape dispenser has a back panel with a belt attachment, a tape receiving reel attachment and a blade connection. A tape receiving reel is rotatably connected to the tape receiving reel attachment. A cutting assembly is attached to the blade connection. The cutting assembly has a first cutting blade and a second cutting blade. The first cutting blade is positioned on a top of the cutting assembly and the second cutting blade is positioned on a bottom of the cutting assembly.

FIELD OF THE DISCLOSURE

The present application relates generally to a tape dispenser, moreparticularly it relates to a masking tape dispenser.

BACKGROUND

This section provides background information to facilitate a betterunderstanding of the various aspects of the invention. It should beunderstood that the statements in this section of this document are tobe read in this light, and not as admissions of prior art.

It is common for painters in many different industries, such as theautomotive, commercial and industrial painting industries, to use tapeto tape to cover areas that do not require paint or that have alreadybeen painted and need to be protected due to color changes. Some areasthat might require tape include door panels, hoods, fenders, variousother car parts, light switches, crown moldings, baseboards, ceilings,floors, industrial truck parts, oil rig equipment, other industrialequipment such as caterpillars, plow graders and tractors, and othersurfaces to which paint may be applied. Taping generally requires theuse of both hands and it can be challenging for a painter to hold on toa roll of tape and properly tape off surfaces. Many workers havedeveloped their own method of dealing with the roll of tape whileplacing the desired length of tape where it needs to be. Some methodsinclude holding the roll of tape in their mouths, placing the roll oftape around their wrist (if their wrists are small enough), placing theroll of tape under their arm, or setting the roll of tape down andpicking it up as needed so they can work with both hands. Tape adhesivesare not generally palatable or healthy to ingest and workers can end upwith friction burns on their wrists from the tape roll rotating aroundtheir wrist as they work. When working on ladders or on higher surfaces,dropping a roll of tape can be dangerous as a worker may lose theirbalance attempting to catch the roll of tape. It can also be timeconsuming when the worker must descend and ascend to the correct heightto pick up dropped rolls of tape.

BRIEF SUMMARY

There is provided a tape dispenser that is attachable to a belt. A backpanel has a belt attachment, a tape receiving reel attachment and ablade connection. A tape receiving reel is rotatably connected to thetape receiving reel attachment. A cutting assembly is attached to theblade connection of the back panel. The cutting assembly has a firstcutting blade and a second cutting blade. The first cutting blade ispositioned on a top of the cutting assembly and the second cutting bladeis positioned on a bottom of the cutting assembly.

In one embodiment, the tape receiving reel has a tapered outer edge suchthat the outer edge is smaller in circumference than the inner edge.This allows the tape to be dispensed to be more easily placed on thetape receiving reel.

In one embodiment, the tape receiving reel is connected to the tapereceiving reel attachment by a retaining screw. A washer is positionedbetween the tape receiving reel and the retaining screw to preventunscrewing or the retaining screw when the tape reel rotates. The washermay be a keyed washer having a keyed lower surface corresponding to akeyed top of the tape receiving reel attachment.

In one embodiment, the tape receiving reel has a stop on an inner edge.This prevents the tape roll from rubbing on the back panel as the tapeand tape receiving reel rotate. This can improve the longevity of thetape dispenser as it can prevent tape residue and friction from causingdamage.

In one embodiment, the first cutting blade and the second cutting bladeare serrated. The serrated blades may have ten slanted teeth per inch.The slant of the cutting blades may be effective in the cutting of thetape.

In one embodiment, the first cutting blade and the second cutting bladeare positioned along the same axis.

In one embodiment, a low friction flanged bushing is positioned betweenthe tape receiving reel and the tape receiving reel attachment. Aself-lubricating bushing may help increase the longevity of the tapedispenser as it limits friction between the tape receiving reel and thetape receiving reel attachment.

In one embodiment, a low friction flanged bushing is positioned betweenthe washer and the tape receiving reel. A self-lubricating bushing mayhelp increase the longevity of the tape dispenser as it limits frictionbetween the washer and the tape receiving reel.

In one embodiment, the first cutting blade and the second cutting bladeare positioned within a safety guard. The safety guard helps to preventthe first cutting blade and the second cutting blade from causing injuryto the user or damage to clothing.

In one embodiment, the back panel is curved such that it conforms to auser's hips or waist.

In one embodiment, the belt attachment is a pair of receiving loopsthrough which a belt may be slid.

In another embodiment, the belt attachment is a fastening aperturethrough which a fastener passes to attach the back panel to a user'sbelt.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

These and other features will become more apparent from the followingdescription in which references are made to the following drawings, inwhich numerical references denote like parts. The drawings are for thepurpose of illustration only and are not intended to in any way limitthe scope of the invention to the particular embodiments shown.

FIG. 1 is a front perspective view of a tape dispenser.

FIG. 2 is a front plan view of the tape dispenser.

FIG. 3 is an exploded view of the tape dispenser.

FIG. 4 is a rear perspective view of the tape dispenser.

FIG. 5 is a rear plan view of the tape dispenser.

FIG. 6 is a top plan view, in section, of the tape dispenser.

FIG. 7 is a top plan view of the tape dispenser.

FIG. 8 is a side elevation view of the tape dispenser.

FIG. 9 is a side elevation view, partially in section, of the tapereceiving reel.

FIG. 10 is a top plan view, partially in section, of the tape dispenserwith the tape receiving reel removed.

FIG. 11 is a perspective view of the tape dispenser with the tapereceiving reel removed.

FIG. 12 is a bottom perspective view of the tape receiving reel.

FIG. 13 is a top perspective view of the tape receiving reel.

FIG. 14 is an exploded view of the connecting parts between the tapereceiving reel attachment and the tape receiving reel.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

A tape dispenser, generally identified by reference numeral 10, will nowbe described with reference to FIG. 1 through FIG. 14.

Referring to FIG. 1, a tape dispenser 10 is designed to be positioned ona belt of a user, not shown. Referring to FIG. 4, tape dispenser 10 hasa back panel 12 with a belt attachment 14. Back panel 12 may be curvedsuch that it conforms to a user's hips or waist. In the embodimentsshown in FIG. 6, belt attachment 14 is a pair of receiving loops 16 aand 16 b that allow a user's belt, not shown, to pass through them tosecure tape dispenser 10 to the user's belt. Receiving loops 16 a and 16b each have two apertures 18 and 20 and a central divider 22 such thatwhen used, the user's belt slides through the first aperture 18 overcentral divider 22 and back through second aperture 20. This preventsthe user's belt from interfering with the remainder of tape dispenser 10and keeps belt positioned to a rear 24 of back panel 12. Referring toFIG. 4 and FIG. 5, belt, not shown, is positioned within back panel 12such that back panel 12 makes direct contact with the user when placedaround their waist or hips. Belt attachment 14 may also include afastening aperture 25 through which a fastener, such as a screw, passesto attach back panel 12 to a user's belt. Receiving loops 16 a and 16 bmay be used in conjunction with fastening aperture 25 and a fastener tosecure tape dispenser 10 to a user's belt. Referring to FIG. 10 and FIG.11, a tape receiving reel attachment 26 and a blade connection 28 arepositioned on a front surface 30 of back panel 12.

Referring to FIG. 9, a tape receiving reel 32 is rotatably connected totape receiving reel attachment 26. In the embodiment shown, tapereceiving reel 32 to connected to tape receiving reel attachment 26 by aretaining screw 34. Referring to FIG. 3, a washer 36 is positionedbetween tape receiving reel 32 and retaining screw 34 to preventunscrewing of retaining screw 34 when tape receiving reel rotates.Referring to FIG. 12 and FIG. 13, to facilitate placement of a taperoll, not shown, on tape receiving reel 32, tape receiving reel 32 has atapered outer edge 38. As a result, tapered outer edge 38 has a smallercircumference than inner edge 40. Referring to FIG. 3, tape roll 100 ismaintained on tape receiving reel 32 through a friction fit. In theembodiment shown, a stop 42 is positioned on inner edge 40 of tapereceiving reel 32. Stop 38 helps to prevent tape roll 100 from rubbingon back panel 12 as the tape roll 100 and tape receiving reel 32 rotate.This helps to ensure that tape receiving reel 32 turns unobstructed byflue residues on the sides of tape roll 100.

Referring to FIG. 7, a cutting assembly 44 is attached to bladeconnection 28. Referring to FIG. 8, cutting assembly 44 has a firstcutting blade 46 and a second cutting blade 48. First cutting blade 46is positioned on a top 50 of cutting assembly 44 and second cuttingblade 48 is positioned on a bottom 52 of cutting assembly 44. In theembodiment shown, cutting assembly 44 and blade connection 28 arepositioned on a side edge 54 of back panel 12. Referring to FIG. 1,cutting assembly 44 is sized such that the diameter of tape receivingreel 32 is substantially the same as the height of cutting assembly 44.Cutting assembly 44 is positioned such that cutting assembly 44 and thevertical diameter of tape receiving reel 32 are substantially lined up.This places first cutting blade 46 and second cutting blade 48 in aposition that allows for easy cutting of tape regardless of whether anew tape roll is being cut or a tape roll is almost depleted. In theembodiments shown, first cutting blade 46 and second cutting blade 48are serrated and have ten slanted teeth per inch. The slant of theserrated teeth may help in the cutting of the tape. It will beunderstood by a person skilled in the art that different types ofcutting blades may be used. Referring to FIG. 3, first cutting blade 46and second cutting blade 48 are positioned along the same axis 47. Inthe embodiment shown, axis 47 is substantially vertical, however it willbe understood by a person skilled in the art that axis 47 may be angled.This allows tape dispenser 10 to be rotated 180 degrees and have thesame positioning and angle of cutting blade. By allowing a 180 degreerotation, tape dispenser 10 may be worn on either the left or ride sideof a user's body, making it usable by both left and right handedindividuals. To protect users from first cutting blade 46 and secondcutting blade 48, a safety guard 58 may be provided. Safety guard 58holds first cutting blade 46 and second cutting blade 48 securely inplace and prevents the user's hands and forearms from coming intocontact with the sharp edges. Referring to FIG. 2, in the embodimentshown, safety guard 58 is held in place using screws 60.

Referring to FIG. 6, to assist with rotation of tape receiving reel 32on tape receiving reel attachment 26, low friction flanged bushings 56 aand 56 b are provided. Low friction flanged bushings 56 a and 56 b arepreferably self-lubricating. Bushing 56 a is positioned at the inneredge 40 between tape receiving reel 32 and tape receiving reelattachment 26. Bushing 56 b is positioned between washer 36 and a top oftape receiving reel 32. In the embodiment shown, bushing 56 b contacts aportion of tape receiving reel 32. Bushings 56 a and 56 b can help toincrease the longevity of tape dispenser 10 as it reduces friction wearbetween tape receiving reel 32 and tape receiving reel attachment 26.Suitable bushings may include GFI-1618-08 and GFI-0808-02 bushings orany other bushings known to a person skilled in the art.

Referring to FIG. 14, the possible positioning of low friction flangedbushings 56 a and 56 b is illustrated. In the embodiment shown, two tapereceiving reels 32 are illustrated. This is done to show how thedifferent bushings 56 a and 56 b are used, however it will be understoodthat there is only a single tape receiving reel 32. In the embodimentshown, bushing 56 a is inserted into a central aperture 62 of tapereceiving reel 32 such that flange 64 a of bushing 56 a contacts abottom 66 of tape receiving reel 32. Bushing 56 b is slid from bottom 66of tape receiving reel 32 through central aperture 62 such that theflange 64 b contacts a top 68 of central aperture 62. As can be seen inthe embodiment provided, central aperture 62 has a larger opening atbottom 66 of tape receiving reel 32 than at top 68 of tape receivingreel 32. Once bushing 56 a and bushing 56 b are positioned correctly,tape receiving reel 32 is placed on tape receiving reel attachment 26 bysliding tape receiving reel attachment 26 into central aperture 62. Ashoulder 70 adjacent top 72 of tape receiving reel attachment 26contacts bushing 56 b. Bushing 56 a may contact back panel 12. Washer 36is positioned on top 72 of tape receiving reel attachment 26. In theembodiment shown, washer 36 has a keyed lower surface 74 thatcorresponds to a keyed top 72 of tape receiving reel attachment 26.Retaining screw 34 is screwed into an aperture 76 in top 72 of tapereceiving reel 26 to hold tape receiving reel 32, bushings 56 a and 56 band washer 36 in position.

Any use herein of any terms describing an interaction between elementsis not meant to limit the interaction to direct interaction between thesubject elements, and may also include indirect interaction between theelements such as through secondary or intermediary structure unlessspecifically stated otherwise.

In this patent document, the word “comprising” is used in itsnon-limiting sense to mean that items following the word are included,but items not specifically mentioned are not excluded. A reference to anelement by the indefinite article “a” does not exclude the possibilitythat more than one of the element is present, unless the context clearlyrequires that there be one and only one of the elements.

It will be apparent that changes may be made to the illustrativeembodiments, while falling within the scope of the invention. As such,the scope of the following claims should not be limited by the preferredembodiments set forth in the examples and drawings described above, butshould be given the broadest interpretation consistent with thedescription as a whole.

What is claimed is:
 1. A tape dispenser, comprising: a back panel havinga belt attachment, a tape receiving reel attachment and a bladeconnection; a tape receiving reel rotatably connected to the tapereceiving reel attachment; a cutting assembly attached to the bladeconnection of the back panel, the cutting assembly having a firstcutting blade and a second cutting blade, the first cutting blade beingpositioned on a top of the cutting assembly and the second cutting bladebeing position on a bottom of the cutting assembly.
 2. The tapedispenser of claim 1 wherein the tape receiving reel has a tapered outeredge such that the outer edge is smaller in circumference than an inneredge.
 3. The tape dispenser of claim 1 wherein the tape receiving reelis connected to the tape receiving reel attachment by a retaining screw,a washer is positioned between the tape receiving reel and the retainingscrew to prevent unscrewing of the retaining screw when the tapereceiving reel rotates.
 4. The tape dispenser of claim 3 wherein thewasher is a keyed washer having a keyed lower surface corresponding to akeyed top of the tape receiving reel attachment.
 5. The tape dispenserof claim 1 wherein the tape receiving reel has a stop on an inner edge.6. The tape dispenser of claim 1 wherein the first cutting blade and thesecond cutting blade are serrated.
 7. The tape dispenser of claim 6wherein the first cutting blade and the second cutting blade have tenslanted teeth per inch.
 8. The tape dispenser of claim 1 wherein thefirst cutting blade and the second cutting blade are positioned alongthe same axis.
 9. The tape dispenser of claim 1 wherein a low frictionflanged bushing is positioned between the tape receiving reel and thetape receiving reel attachment.
 10. The tape dispenser of claim 3wherein a low friction flanged bushing is positioned between the washerand the tape receiving reel.
 11. The tape dispenser of claim 1 whereinthe first cutting blade and the second cutting blade are positionedwithin a safety guard.
 12. The tape dispenser of claim 1 wherein theback panel is curved such that it conforms to a user's hips or waist.13. The tape dispenser of claim 1 wherein the belt attachment is a pairof receiving loops through which a belt may be slid.
 14. The tapedispenser of claim 1 wherein the belt attachment is a fastening aperturethrough which a fastener passes to attach the back panel to a user'sbelt.